Elina Svitolina is out of the 2026 Cincinnati Open after failing to shake a right ankle issue that has trailed her since Toronto.
The world No. 9 was due on the court Tuesday against Wang Xiyu in Cincinnati's third round, but withdrew before the match. As a result, Wang advances on a walkover into the Round of 16, where US favorite Madison Keys now awaits.
Elina Svitolina Withdraws From Cincinnati After 2nd-Round Win
The injury first flared during Svitolina's semifinal run at the Canadian Open, which ended with a loss to the tournament's eventual champion Iga Świątek. Then it worsened in Cincinnati's second-round showdown with Tereza Valentová — a survival act in which the Ukrainian took a medical timeout, fought off seven match points, and closed the decider 6-0.
But the quick turnaround for her third-round match left little time for recovery.
"Unfortunately I tried my best to recover, but the injury I sustained in Toronto and also pushed by the second round match, I didn't recover as I wish I could," she said. "I’ve been advised by the doctors to take a little bit of time to rest and recover completely. [I'm] very sad to pull out this round."
Wang Xiyu Meets Madison Keys in Round of 16
For Wang, the walkover extends a breakthrough week. The 24-year-old has reached just her second WTA 1000 Round of 16, after her 2023 Rome campaign.
Standing between her and the quarterfinals is Keys, the No. 20 seed, who earlier dismissed Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-3. Svitolina, meanwhile, turns her attention to healing ahead of an expected US Open run.
